Costa Rica announces border reopening and tourist entry requirements

Costa Rica announces border reopening and tourist entry requirements
Costa Rica announces border reopening and tourist entry requirements
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Written by Harry Johnson

On November 1, Costa Rica will reopen its air borders to all international countries, as long as they meet the visa requirements and the requirements established within the framework of the pandemic.

It is requested that national and international tourists follow all of the protocols established by the Costa Rican authorities when landing on Costa Rican soil. Everyone must wear a mask and comply with the strict protocols of the air terminal, including physical distancing, disinfection of carpets, taking temperatures and following any other health instructions.

In an effort to reactivate tourism employment, especially in rural areas of
Costa Rica within the Guanacaste, North Zone, Central Pacific, South Pacific and Caribbean regions, the Government decided to facilitate entry requirements to the country.

As of Monday, October 26, national and foreign passengers entering Costa Rica by air will not be required to present a negative RT-PCR test result (the test that determines the presence of SARS CoV-2 that produces COVID-19), Tourism Minister Gustavo J. Segura announced this Thursday.

Neither Costa Ricans nor foreigners will receive a sanitary order of confinement when entering the country by air. This measure depends on the evolution of the pandemic in the national territory and in the world.

“This decision is made in view of the air opening to all international countries on Nov. 1 an takes into account that the Pan American Health Organization, in a document dated October 9, considers it unnecessary to demand tests or order quarantines for the resumption of international travel,โ€ said the Minister of Tourism.

In addition to the migratory visa requirements for each country, the requirements within the framework of the pandemic that remain in force are to complete the epidemiological digital form called the Health Pass and the acquisition of medical insurance that meets the parameters established by executive decree.

The sustainability of this new measure will depend on the evolution of the pandemic in the national territory.

โ€œI reiterate my call to companies in the tourism sector to continue with the commitment to apply prevention protocols in a very comprehensive manner and to national and international tourists to practice tourism responsibly, following all the precautionary measures that have been
recommended to avoid contagion. The observance and adoption of these protocols is critical to give continuity over time to these gradual measures of economic opening, which undoubtedly help to protect thousands of jobs in the tourism sector throughout the country,โ€ added the Minister.

In the last two months, the ICT has inspected 150 companies to ensure compliance with health protocols and 133 have requested the ICT for the Safe Travels seal granted by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) to the country, thanks to the implementation of the 16 protocols designed for tourist activities. Currently, 73 companies have the Safe Travels seal.

Travelers with symptoms such as fever, dry cough, sore throat, fatigue, flu or similar are asked to postpone their trip to Costa Rica until they are in good health.

The opening of the air border is of vital importance to the reactivation of employment through the tourism industry, which in turn is one of the main engines of the national economy, responsible for almost 10 points of the Gross Domestic Product and more than 600,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The reactivation of the tourism industry also entails the generation of foreign currency that is of crucial importance for the stability of the exchange rate of the dollar against the colon.

About the author

Avatar of Harry Johnson

Harry Johnson

Harry Johnson has been the assignment editor for eTurboNews for mroe than 20 years. He lives in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is originally from Europe. He enjoys writing and covering the news.

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